Where There's Smoke
by mynameisweird
Summary: A team on their way to national success, a supportive town and school. The Konoha Ninjas success made them untouchable. But when a cold night brings in an unwelcome system, nobody in the town nor team is left unaffected. AU-Konoha High (TW for sexual content)
1. The Man in the Mask

He had questioned if it would be liked the movies. A dark room with a single bulb, a metal chair and a cold table, a cop across from him giving a good guy-bad guy persona. He had wondered if there would be camera's focused on him, with a sleek window hiding the smoking investigators that watched for the melodrama of a trembling figure whose face spoke nothing but guilt.

He doesn't expect a small office, no matter how many times his father brought him here in the past.

It's in his nature, he argues, that he would wince at the click of the metal door opening and the sound of shuffled papers in the man's hand.

Kakashi Hatake was a symbol of damage control. Surrounded by cameras and microphones, his respect for his mentor did not overpower his dislike for Konoha. His record as an investigator and prosecutor made him well-known, and the teen could guess that his skills would excuse the white mask he placed over his face.

He had used every excuse of the mask: from the Konoha air to a disease that's passed when he spoke.

He won't point out the hyprocrisy of the man looking for the truth all the while hiding too much of himself in the process.

"You look nervous."

"I'm 16," he answers quick and he suddenly is reminded of his father, "I could ask how you would react if the police came into your classroom and excorted you to the nearest interrogation room."

"You're a smart kid," the Hatake sighs, "I don't have to tell you that if you got nothing to hide you shouldn't be nervous."

"I don't remember anything."

Gray eyes examined darker ones. All his years in debate clubs, law school, police exams, and official practice had made him a god of some sort. His ability to pick out the liar by a flick of the eye, the drop of sweat, the tremble in the hand, or the lick of chapped lips.

But he knows whose son this is and some things are just hereditary.

"You don't," he conceded, "But you do remember what happened before."

A shift in the seat across. Perfect.

"I'm not concern with Konoha's reputation. If anything this things will disappear in a few years and move on to the next town that has some sort of political scandal. You want that as much as the rest of these people living here do."

The young teen met his gaze once more and he watched as those eyes once again narrow. He wonders if there is a bias. The mayor had called him in as a way to show the people of this town that there was no vigilante chief investigator who wanted to make the town a fool. But Hatake, while seasoned with great respectability, was a pupil of the Mayor during his early years in university and beyond. Did he know more? Had he spoken to him?

"You're subjective."

"I'm realistic." He had seen enough of these cases fade to nothing.

The boy stared down at his bare arms, the slight marks of grass stain and dirt splotched together like some sort of abstract art. Bruises and scratches that tainted his elbows and knees spoke of the team, sacrifices they made for him as much as he would for them.

Their comradery linked them to not only what went on the field, but the silence that surrounded what was off it.

His father had never warned him of it, but he suppose it was as subtle as the way he never spoke of what went on in that tiny office of his or of his relationship as the mayor's criminal advisor. Any mention was met with a shrug or slight stern change of subject.

His mother was bred in the business world. Rules of proper etiquette and surrounding one's self with the right people. Her smile shined white, and her eyes flashed with distrust at a loose handshake.

He'd be born in families of trust and secrecy, and he wonders if he could blame his parents of this predicament he was in. Alcohol wasn't the barrier, he had listened in (at least partly) in his psychology class to know that when human nature wants to forget, it will forget.

"It's in your hands," the investigator broke the silence, eyes dulling and pulling out an orange novel to show the numerous hours he had and how long he would use it to keep the teen in the room.

His mother and father taught him to avoid the "what ifs" in life. Take advantage of what was in front of him, his mother had insisted, and his father had laid a blunt response that questioning the past is as useless as imagining the future.

A day at a time.

But what if he hadn't shaken his hand? What if he hadn't shown the fake ID? What if he had ignore the honk of the car, the feminine call of his name, the beer shoved in his hand?

 _Whatifwhatifwhatifwhatifwhatif_ ….

But it's just one day at a time.

"Okay."

 _You're gonna keep your mouth shut. Because you know why? Nothing fuckin' happened, Shikamaru._ _ **Nothing**_ **.**

The click of the tape recorder stings him, rushing hot guilt through his body like a fever.

" _ **This is Kakashi Hatake, investigator 310-49 at the Konoha City Police Courthouse. It's 10:30 with witness #1, Shikamaru Nara. S-H-I-K-A-M-A-R-U, correct?"**_

" _ **Yes."**_ _Because nothing fuckin' happened._

" _ **And N-A-R-A?"**_

" _ **Yeah."**_ _Okay. Okay._

" _ **We are discussing case #621573. Shikamaru, take us back earlier the day on December 10**_ _ **th**_ _ **."**_

" _ **It was actually a week ago…"**_


	2. Nationals

_"It is not titles that honor men, but men who honor titles"- Niccolo Machiavelli_

 **"And Sasuke Uchiha ties with less than two minutes remaining!"**

Shikamaru's wince at the booming exuberance wasn't the last time his face would construe in a grimace. The day had started with Coach Gai forcing an early morning run to ready themselves of their game against Suna's Raiders. Throughout it he had to listen to Ino's constant complaint of the sweat ruining her hair and her continual head movement to make sure Sai wasn't around to see her before-dawn look.

He had questioned Konoha Academy's decision to make the soccer team co-ed. While an argument was made that the best of the best were chosen and their continual winning streak was a direct representation of that, Shikamaru supposed it was his lack of respect for the female gender (he would never admit the fear) that made him uneager to embrace it. He defended his thought. Ino had as much focus on the water boy's attention as she did on the team. She played as phenomenal as TenTen, but any awe he had disintegrated when he watched her fret over the latest pimple or argue with Sakura over how much attention Sasuke put on either of them.

Despite these faults, she packed a powerful kick and Sakura, whether by luck or by the irony of the gods in his life, was as strategic in her plays as he was. But any of that, that had impressed him had vanished as soon as her eyes brimmed with hearts and competitiveness over one star player.

"Hinata." The co-captain's eyes shifted toward the long-haired player, hair mused by sweat and strands of mud brown coming lose from his ponytail. He snapped to the assistant that worked beside Sai as medical need and water girl.

It was no secret that there was no love lost between the cousins, but while Hinata held the naive hope that whatever had come between them could be fixed, Neji Hyuuga had manipulated the girl's faith by demands. The dark-haired girl quickly rushed with a drink, controlling the slight wince at the jerk her cousin gave when taking the Gatorade from her hands.

Catching the genius' eyes, Hinata bared a smile before returning to monitor the material needed for a just-in-case.

"You're excited." Choji grinned, face clean of the usual sweat from a home game. Shikamaru hummed in response as his eyes scanned the ball that was in the hands of the opponents.

"I'd think you would be," Choji continued, hands digging through his sports bag. The crunch of plastic let his best friend know it was a bag of meat chips. "Sasuke's dad and brother are here. We could just take the rest of the team off the field and he wouldn't even give a damn."

Fugaku Uchiha had always expected perfection. The loss yesterday that had only just placed them in the playoffs had created a tension in the car ride home that had been as thick as butter. He could almost hate his parents for a month for asking the Uchihas to drop him home after both had been caught up at work.

After the loss and a bad mood the following day, Sasuke had come to the game with a strict tone that held no room for teamwork. Stay out of his way, and the game was theirs.

Shikamaru turned slightly to see the Uchiha family, father giving no hint of a smile and mother and brother looking on with concern and confusion at Sasuke's attitude. While he was sure Coach Gai would have a talk with them on Sasuke's notion of doing a job alone, until the patriarch of the family showed any sign of pride for his youngest son would Sasuke exclude them from any chance to win as a team.

"Hoorah?"

"Come on! We have this game in the bag! With Itachi here, too, I'm betting it's a 3 to 1 game." Wince #12 was a punch in the shoulder.

"Time out!" Sigh #51 came as he lifted himself from the bench to the gathering members of his team, assistants, and head coach. He couldn't hide his amusement at TenTen and Kiba's flustered glares at Sasuke. He held back a laughing snort at the wild dark eyes that were only too eager to return to the field.

"Alright team, you're looking really good out there." The glares turned to their coach, wondering if it was his everyday nature to compliment everyone or if he was honestly that naive to not see who had the ball the majority of the time.

"Sasuke-kun," Gai sighed, rubbing his neck as the heat of the stares got to him, "I think you misunderstood the value in teamwork in an important game such as this...again."

"Hn."

As if the boy did not have the capacity to speak another language. Gai had continued on with his speech of comradery and the importance of the game while Sasuke had turned his attention to the opponents, particularly a red-haired midfielder. Despite their advantages, Shikamaru knew just how well the Suna Raiders were with comebacks. They were the two-time national winners and their recruitment of hometown favorite Sabaku no Gaara had only made them popular. Konoha's last attempt at winning nationals had been when his father was barely a freshman at the academy.

The celebration that followed at how close to winning it all they were could have been exaggerated, but what else happened in a city such as theirs.

He focused on the gray lines that represented his position as a center forward. His analysis of the goal had dawned successes in the past, but the goalie's 20/20 had created a situation that frustrated him as much as it did Sasuke.

By the end of the timeout and the unneeded team cheer to follow, positions were taken and the game commenced.

"Sasuke," Kiba's shout of his cleared status held no sway for the Uchiha with only the defenders alerted of a position they could've missed. Sasuke's name was called once more, Ino and Sakura rushing forward with bated breaths as he himself rushed to catch up, the warmth moistening his legs beneath the high black socks. His eyes zeroed in on the raven as the sandy-blonde uniforms of the Raiders surrounded the dark-green uniformed star. Legs burned with fatigue as he hurried to his teammate, eyes darting from Sasuke to the ball with each second.

"SASUKE!"

Because there was no way he would score with that many.

Because he had a short time before the others came rushing his way.

 _Because he needed them even if they needed him more._

 **"Sasuke Uchiha makes an amazing quick pass to Ninja player #2, Shikamaru Nara!"**

He wonders how long would Sasuke glare at him this time. With one more breath, he kicks with all his might to the waiting net.

Stretch hands.

Magnified gasps.

The sound of nylon and latex rubber crashing.

His eyes only slightly widening as the final buzz hurts his ears and strong, chubby arms crash the air out of him as they lifted him slightly in the air. He barely makes mention of the other team gathering together as he is engulfed in a small mosh pit of sweaty teammates. Ino and Sakura squeal, letting their rivalry for a dark raven reach some sort of truce for this huge moment.

He patted Kiba's back as his eyes go to Sasuke, watching him gather with the rest of team but eyes laying squarely on the goal net on his right. He shrugged any congratulations from those who wouldn't put up much of fuss for his refusal, namely Shino due to his calm demeanor and Lee for the exuburence that prevented him from reading the atmosphere. Perhaps it was the irony of the situation or the plain cruelty of the moment, but the genius once again questioned what force out there would make him score a goal that would send his father patting his back proudly, his mother chasing him down for a hug, and the numerous high-fives that would follow the next day. He never cared. He joined the soccer team under the assumption that there were extra players that would allow him to sit out. He came out being a vice captain of a rising team and scoring a goal he had no concern of. As his last name was cheered in the stands, he allowed the pity to run through him at the thought of how unwanted those cheers were to him. His thoughts go to Fugaku and the expectations the bastard had for his second-born diminished to what could have been disappointment. His thoughts go to Itachi and the matriarch of the family, their gazes increasing with the concern that was already there as they dart from Fugaku to Sasuke. The cynical and realistic mind that made Shikamaru almost as stoic in the feelings of others took control, reminding him that Sasuke's popularity as a star athlete, as an elected Adonis by a majority of girls and some boys at the academy, and as a future valecdictorian from the way his grades were going were enough to comfort the brooding teen despite the numerous times Sasuke had muttered of how little some of those things mattered.

Gai calls them for the final hand shake with the Raiders, lining up in their proper order. Sasuke stands a little taller at his place, as if he could give a blow to Shikamaru's success. A succcess that was never asked for. He gives lazy high fives before giving a stern shake to the red-head that had made a worthy opponent to the whole team. Seafoam eyes stared back with no interest, no dejection or anger at the loss. They were only freshman and from the way the Suna players had brought their personal game, a championship was in their future.

With the coaches shaking hands, they rush to their benches, fresh warm towels waiting in the arms of Hinata and Sai. Sai fakes his grin as Ino brags of her performance on the field, with his eyes darting to the notebook he had always kept with him. A diary, Ino had called it with an awe at the fact that he might just write something of her. An escape, Sai had told him once as the ink black visuals of tigers and birds flooded the thin paper.

"Shikamaru," he barely makes a step to escape when his face is pressed into a bosom. He coughs as he squirms in the grasp of his mother, glaring at his father for chuckling at such an embarrassing situation.

"Mom!"

"Congratulations, sweetie," he misses a pinch to his cheek, "I had just a feeling you would make the winning goal. It almost reminded me of your father's winning strike when I first met him."

"Mom," he rubs the back of his head, "I don't need a high school love tale in front of everybody."

"But you will get your favorite meal," she smiles, "And if you don't want your poor mother talking your ear off we'll invite Choji too."

"In a minute." He rushes back to the teammates, only half listening to Gai's inspirational speech of work and perseverance that had Lee close to sobbing with pride. His eyes go to Sasuke once more and he could barely feel the coming headache of worrying for such a bastard. Surrounded by his family, Itachi places a hand on his brother's arm and while he does not return the warm smile Sasuke makes no move to shove it off. He suppose it was the sanctuary that was beneath the rivalry of his father's praise that had encompassed the relationship between the two siblings. Mikoto-san hugs him with the gentleness that rivals his mother's excitement.

The cynical part of him returns and paints the Uchiha into a person of dramatic issues with his father that could easily be replaced by the two other people in his family. With that thought, he makes his way to Choji and Ino.

"Mom wants to know if your parents would let you go out to dinner with us."

"Why not," the Akimichi grinned, "Not one to pass up a good meal."

"Ino, you in?" Childhood friendship. Hard to escape. Even harder to want it to.

The blonde shook her head as she threw a worried look at Sasuke's direction. He couldn't help but roll his eyes and give his final sigh of the day.

"Relax," he bluntly snapped, "By tomorrow everyone's gonna talk about how he helped give me the winning goal. Sasuke's tantrums barely last two days."

"It's not that," she jumped in with a defensive tone, "It's just...I mean, he looks more off. He came to school today and he just looked, you know, like something pissed him off badly."

"It's the final game before nationals. You know how his dad is."

" _Everyone_ knows how his dad is," Choji couldn't help but add, shivering as if he had been a victim of Fugaku's cold glare.

"It's not **that** ," Ino pushed, "He just looked angry. More than usual."

"Sasuke's always been the guy that brooded more than usual, Ino," Shikamaru's impatience and annoyance of the roundabout subject was shown and he ignored Ino's continual instances to discuss why Sasuke was Sasuke. "Last chance, wanna get some barbeque?"

She shook her head once more, sighing at the loss of continuing on the conversation of her intuitive nature when it came to one of her many crushes. Lifting her sports bag, she hardly let out a defeated sigh when a voice boomed across the field.

"Gaara!"

Her investigation ended as she focused on the loud call of an opponent's name and the obnoxious laughter that followed after it.

"Hey! Gaara!" The harsh clash of sneakers meeting the metal bench echoed as a mix of orange and blonde made their way to the opponent's benches. Snorts of contained laughter that hid behind individual hands faced away as the overjoyed teen rushed to the red-haired Raider and threw his arm around his shoulder, laughter never dimming one sound.

"Naruto," Gaara murmured, the first words of the day even uttered from the quiet teen. Shuffling the material into his own green sports bag, he made no move to stop the blonde boy from leaning against him or rambling.

"Didn't know Naruto know Gaara," Shikamaru turned to acknowledged Choji before turning back to the sight in front of him. Naruto Uzumaki was a rare show for any of their games. While 90% of the school always seemed to show, whether it be home or away, the blonde had always crossed his arms as such gatherings with a claim of having better things to do.

For a reason that baffled Shikamaru at times, such a statement made the self-known class clown even more disliked.

He looks to see if anyone was with the trickster, but it is only greeted to the now empty stands. Naruto had been welcomed with pity when he entered Konoha Academy through a little known scholarship fund. He was a boy of limited knowledged and an orphan by birth. But the compassion had quickly worn off when he placed stink bombs in every single locker the first day of school. He laughed loud and annoyingly, not giving a single damn of the punishment set out by the principle. In response to them, he had furthered his dislike by a majority of the teachers by calling the principal "Grandma" instead of the usual respect expected by the students.

Due to his dislike of sports, Naruto's energy could rival any one of theirs especially Sasuke. Gym had him and the Uchiha tied, but the rivalry that had existed between them disappeared into indifference of each other's presence. Shikamaru had been the only member of the team to actually hold a conversation and part of him felt a tinge of regret when the Uzumaki opened his mouth and maundered on subjects that changed ever second.

Naruto had respect for him, and vice versa, but nothing came of it besides that.

"Yeah. Ready to go," he faced away as he began to walk to his parents with Choji by his side.

He ignored the harsh glares directed at the blonde, knowing well that any mention of them to Uzumaki would result in action that would make him hated even further.


End file.
